I was never in the Scouts, I was a Bluebird and then a Campfire Girl. I remember this day, it was in one of the buildings around the Palmdale, Ca libary. I was so nervous as they said if the US flag touched the ground you had to burn it. So I was just a scared girl holding this heavy pole trying not to let the flag touch the floor. I couldnt focus on anything else or tell you what else we did that day, because that is ALL I remember.

We had an event called Dollie Derby. One of my favorites as a Campfire girl, we would go to the local thrift stores and get old dolls. We would take them back and clean them up, style and put their hair in curlers and our leader helped us sew new dresses for our dolls. I remember I had a Crissy Doll (the type with the long pony tail that cranks into her head).

Anyways then our dolls went to a Charity event and were sold. They had a special celebrity guest for us. For those who remember “Tootie” from early “The Facts of Life” Days, she was in a wheelchair that day as she had some foot injury. I just remember leaving with an autographed photo of her that I have still have somewhere in one of my scrapbooks. (thats me on the left, I think this event took place in Burbank, Ca)

Funny now one of my friends in this very photo is a grown Mother of 4 and a Girl Scout leader and the big Cookie Selling Mommy these days in town.

I have always commented how different it was when we were kids selling things as Campfire girls. We had to wear our uniforms, our neck scarves perfect, our hair groomed, our white shirts and blue jeans. We practiced a coined speech to sell Campfire Candy. We were very polite and taught proper etiquette in how to speak. “Hi my name is Sharon, would you like to buy some Campfire Candy? We have Almond Roca or Mint Patties” I dont really know what the money was for that we raised. I just know I wanted to win the cool big stuffed animal prize that I never won each year as you had to sell crazy amounts to get it. I remember standing in front of Alpha Beta grocery store and inside the plush looking Crocker Bank which was nice and warm inside. Taking shifts and rotating and sitting in the car with our leader crocheting wire coat hangers with yarn and drinking hot chocolate. Good times!

I was a Girl Scout and worried about the same thing! They taught us to hold the flagpole in a special way that made my hands hurt and I was worried I’d drop the pole because of it. Great post and I love your pictures!

These days all the little scouts I know send emails about cookies being available. I did actually see some scouts outside a grocery store, but they were having too much fun giggling to interrupt them to buy some Thin Mints. I remember going door to door in my uniform to get orders. And then I remember hauling shopping bags back through the same neighborhood making deliveries. Not the same when you do it through email and have your mom drop them off when she’s passing through the neighborhood.

Hi everyone, I am Ernie Kolleas’ daughter, the picture is a school pageant and not to do with scouts. This is at the elementary school in Lakeside, Oregon. The outfit parts that are plaid were paper, and were still in my mother’s trunk at her death in Feb. of this year. Nice to see and have it shared.